Improvement in dust-eoom in cleaning cotton



@uiten gisten uttat @fina JAMES WHITEHILL, OF NEWBURG, NEWr YORK.

Letters Patent No. 66,921, dated July 16, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN DUST-ROOM IN CLEANING COTTON.

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T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY OONCERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES WHITEHILL, of New-burg, in the county of Orange, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement on Dust-Room Arrangements for Cotton and Wool-Pickers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had .to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 4Il represents a front elevation of my improvement.

Figure 2,' a vertical section of the same, at right angles to fig. 1,'through the line a: :c in figs. 1 and 3.

Figure 3, a horizontal section thereof through the line z z in figs. l and 2.

Ordinarily the dust released in picking is carriedoff by means of a blast or suction'through or in the room communicating, say, with a chimney or shaft. Where thc current or blast is a'strong one-and to secure a perfect action, it is necessary that it should be so-suchloose cotton that escapes from the pickers is carried oif with the dust, and not unfrequently up the shaft into the outside-yard, whereby great loss or waste occurs, or when such escaping cotton is recovered it is so mixed with dust or dirt as to need a special cleaning process to make it available for the purposes of trade. These objections my improvement removes, and the nature of my invention consists, first, in a novel combination of a screen arranged, say, across one end of the dust-room, and

reciprocating-brush, having a sudden and rapid clearing stroke, which serves not only to prevent the escape of` cotton, but to detach it from the screen andkeep the meshes of the latter open for free passage of the dust; and said invention further consists in certain novel means for operating said brush.

Referring to tbe accompanying drawing, A represents the dust-room, and B an opening or it may be outlet to the shaft for carrying off the dust, while C is a door or opening for removing deposited dust. D `is a screen arranged, say, across the one end ofthe dust-room, or there may be any number of such screens otherwise, and suitably arranged, through which the draughtis established in the ordinary or any other proper way to carry o the dust from the picker-room. This screen serves to admit of the passage ofdust released by the. pickers wit-hout allowing of the loose or escaping cotton so passing off, said loose cotton naturally adhering to thesurface of the screen. To detach such cotton therefrom and keep the -meshes of the screen clear for escape of the dust, I arrange a brush, E, of any suitable form lor construction, to slowly move up over thc surface ofthe screen D, and suddenly drop. or descend, so as to brush off or remove any cotton or dust sticking to the screen, such abrupt or rapid clearing stroke of thc brush being n ecessnry to accomplish the desired effect. The brush E may be thus operated as follows: Attached to the brush or its frame, preferably by means of a swivel, b, is a rope or chain, F, the opposite end of-which, after being passed over a sheave or roller, d, is made fast to a grooved pulley, G, having a tripping formation, c, on it, that, as the brush-frame is raised, say at intervals, by the rotation of the pulley G winding the rope F, serves te'let fall or slip said rope from off the pulley G, which causes the .brush to drop suddenly and rapidly sweep over the face of the screen for the purposes before mentioned, after which, ata proper interval, the pulley G, in'continuing its rotation, takes up the rope into its groove and slowly winds up the brush again for a repetition of the dropping and clearing action, the tripping forma-tion c being so conducted as to guide the rope into the groove of the winding-pulley when it is required to raise the brush. This action, which may be accomplished by other means than those described, is repeated with any degree of frcquency. To prevent the twist ofthe rope being affected by t-he tripping and 1e-engagement of it by the windingpulley, as described, it is attached to the brush by means of a swivel, b, arranged to freely turn therein or on, or the swivel may be otherwise situated to accomplish the same purpose. The brush E may be formed in one or more rows of splints or tufts, one above the other, or it may be of any appropriate form and construction, and be guided in its reciprocating action by its frame working in between uprightsf. It should be provided at its bottom *with a cushion or springs, or at the end of its descent strike a cushion or springs g, to break the effect of concussion and form an easy rest` for it until again lifted by the winding-pulley.

By this, my improvement, it will be seen that a strong dust-clearing current may be established through the picker room for the more perfect removal of dust, with a free escape lfor it through the meshes of the screen, kept clear by the brush, and prevention of its settling'on .the machinery; also that all loose cotton is restrained from dying oif with the dust, and, though carried by Vthe current against the screen where it is cleaned by the blast, it is prevented from accumulating there by. the action of the brush, and finally deposited or collected, in a cleaned condition, atAthe base of the screen.

What I claim :is my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a screen to the dust-room, of a brush operating' in its one stroke or action to abruptly and rapidly travel over or sweep the falce of said screen, while in its opposite or further action it moves at a slower velocity over the same, substantially as and for the purposes specificd 2. The winding-pulley G with its tripping formation e, in combination with the brush, und rope or chain, operating essentially as herein set forth for the purpose specified.

3. In combination with'the screen and brush, operittinr as described, a. cushion or springs to arrest the brush in its descent, substantially as specified.

4. The attachment to the rope F, when tripped as described, of a swivel thereto for operation in un intermediate manner between the winding-pulley and brush, essentially as and for the purpose described.

JAMES WHITEHILL.

Witnesses EUGENE Goss, HUGH WHITEHILL. 

